Cut beef into bite-sized pieces and brown in olive oil in heavy duty 8 quart pot. Add the chopped onions and garlic and continue browning for about five minutes more. Add the bay leaves and water. Stir thoroughly, loosening the brown crustiness from bottom of kettle. Bring to boil, cover, then turn down heat to simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is fairly tender.

Add barley to soup after meat has simmered for 30 minutes. Barley needs to cook approximately 1 hour total.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga, and cut them and the celery into bite-sized pieces. Place in 3 quart bowl filled with water to cover vegetables.

When meat is fairly tender, add the vegetables, water, the quart (more or less) of tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Eat with buttered fresh rye bread, Rye-Krisp, and/or Wasa bread and enjoy for a couple of days or more.